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Parabens: Dangerous Substances in Everyday Products?

February 08, 2017

Parabens act as preservatives in many everyday items, including some sunscreens, deodorants, shampoos, lotions, skin creams, toothpastes, hair conditioners and fragrances. These chemicals, which began showing up in such products during the 1950s, also keep bacteria from growing.

In recent years, medical researchers have found evidence connecting parabens to allergic reactions and skin irritations. These substances could also prevent reproductive hormones from functioning correctly, it's also possible that exposure to parabens could lead to serious illnesses.

Changing Views of Parabens

For decades, most experts believed that parabens were harmless, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) therefore didn't restrict these chemicals.

Unfortunately, those medical professionals didn't factor in the ways parabens interact with certain molecules inside the body; as it turns out, those mixtures can cause trouble.

Parabens and Cancer

Some studies have suggested that parabens could cause malignant cancers to develop faster. For example, a 2015 University of California, Berkeley study found that parabens could interact with a woman's cells in ways that increase her risk of breast cancer.

Most breast cancer tumors have a protein molecule called a receptor. When estrogen comes into contact with that receptor, it stimulates certain genes to transform healthy cells into cancer cells, speeding up the disease's progression. Unfortunately, parabens can act like estrogen and have the same effect on those genes.

Taking Action as a Consumer

Given this new information, it's wise to stay away from parabens. True Club makes it easier to do so – Parabens are at the top our danger list and as we are always looking to offer products that put their customer's health we avoid products that contain them.

As a final note, more research is needed to conclusively link parabens and medical problems. Authorities are also unsure about how long people can be exposed to these chemicals before there are consequences. Nevertheless, there's no reason to take any chances, not when avoiding parabens could mean avoiding illnesses and fertility issues.